democrats would have been gleeful of the statement. you do not see many moderates left. you do not see many moderate republicans left in congress. the move he has made is typical of many. go back to what we said in the beginning, the rise of the independents is one thing, but those left in the republican party are moving to the edges. i think he is an example of that. i think host: we can agree it will be an interesting year of watching in november. -- host: i think we can agree it will be an interesting year watching in november. we will take you to the house. thanks for being with us. e ed pastor to act as speaker pro tempore on this day. signed, nancy pelosi, speaker of the house of representatives. the speaker pro tempore: the prayer will be offered by our chaplain, father coughlin. chaplain coughlin: lord god, we

bless you and thank you for mother earth. earth's beauty calls forth wonder in children. earth is common ground for all human life and invites us to be respectful and grateful for her diverse gifts of land and sea. help us to learn from her seasons the wisdom of your timing. may the variety of her species and the potential of her resources teach us prudence and perseverance. may her fruitfulness give witness to your ever faithful love and her tilt to the sun model our turn to you to face every need. earth is home for us all but no one's lasting city.

with all her laws of nature, earth is stable yet ever changing making all dependent upon you both now and forever. amen. the speaker pro tempore: the chair has examined the journal of the last day's proceedings and announces to the house his approval thereof. pursuant to clause 1 of rule 1 the journal stands approved. the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from vermont, congressman welch. mr. welch: i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the speaker pro tempore: the chair will entertain up to 10 requests for one-minute speeches on each side of the aisle. for what purpose does the gentleman from oregon rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so approved. mr. defazio: well, all america

has heard about too big to fail and they're still pretty angry about that in the bailout of wall street. now there is a new deal with lexicon thanks to goldman sachs and that is designed to fail for profit. goldman sachs worked with a hedge fund manager who put together a collateralize debt obligation that he hand picked because he thought they would fail. goldman got a fee for putting them together, goldman sold him insurance or bets against him and then goldman sold to unknowing investors those same securities as great investments. we are thankful that the securities and exchange commission is back on the beat after a long nap under the bush administration and chris cox. we congratulate chairwoman shapiro but we're asking her to expand the scope of her investigation to look at any credit default swaps that were paid to goldman sachs that involved these so-called

instruments and whether or not we could reclaim those as ill-gotten games for america's taxpayers. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado rise? >> mr. speaker, i ask for unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. >> mr. speaker, there are many heroes from colorado who have fought and continue to fight in the global war on terror. today, i rise to pay tribute to one hero in particular, army sergeant shawn durkin. on march 27, 2010, sergeant shawn durkin and his fellow soldiers were on a mission near forward operating base wilson in afghanistan when their convoy was struck by an explosive device. sergeant shawn durkin and two other brave soldiers exited the vehicle to respond to the blast but was injured when a second improvised blast went off.

he succumbed to his injuries while at walter reed medical center. in 2004 shawn durkin graduated from eagle crest high school in colorado. surge shawn durkin is a shining example of army service and sacrifice. as a former member of the army and as a retired marine officer, my deepest sympathies go out to his family and to all who knew him. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from vermont rise? mr. welch: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. welch: and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. welch: mr. president, last week we saw two stories about goldman sachs. it made record profits of $1 billion a month for the past three months and it was sued for civil fraud by the securities and exchange commission for the manner in which it made those moneys, misleading its own clients. goldman has transformed itself from one of the most respected institutions on wall street to one of the most revifled for putting itself ahead of its clients and the american

people. the $1 billion design to fail deal for the benefit of a hedge fund billionaire who needed to get richer did not create a single new job in america. it did not provide a single american family with a new mortgage. it didn't help a single new business get started. it did more to damage the economy than it could possibly have done to help us, but the only difference tks hold 'em new poker game -- texas hold 'em new poker game, the american taxpayer is the loser. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? mr. poe: i ask permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. poe: mr. speaker, federal judge barbara crab cited with some atheists last week and ruled a national day of prayer as unconstitutional. the first amendment of the constitution states congress will make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise

thereof. the judge obviously forgot the free exercise part. our founding fathers jealously guarded the right to free exercise of religious conscience. thanksgiving was started in 1789 by president george washington so the nation could, quote, thank and pray to the almighty for blessing america. we start each day of congress with a prayer. heaven knows we need it. we have a long history of honoring the religious foundation of america's liberty. the national day of prayer does not seek to establish a government religion. quite to the contrary. we specifically recognize one day each year the right of americans to freely exercise their religion. free from anyone's interference, including atheists and federal judges. what's next, you going to ban thanksgiving and christmas as national holidays? and that's just the way it is. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from oregon rise? >> i ask permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore:

without objection, so ordered. mr. blumenauer: thank you, mr. speaker. the last 40 years of earth day represents some of my personal highest hopes, fondest dreams and greatest frustrations about the environment. at times we've watched retreat, denial and in some cases destruction. but we've also seen people mobilize, government respond with groundbreaking legislation. today, earth day is not so much an issue of hope or despair as one of determination. the current path we're on is not sustainable. it's indeed destructive. more and more people know the devastating facts, but what is exciting is that we know what to do about it. from girl scout troops to community colleges to the united states military, people are moving in the right direction with solutions that are cost-effective and that most agree we should implement even if we aren't concerned about destabilizing the earth's planet. the question is, where will we be on the 50th anniversary of earth day? will we have risen to the challenge of global pollution

by leading by example, making real progress to a low carbon future while we vitalize american industry to compete for business at home and abroad? we can and i hope we will. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from nebraska rise? >> to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. smith: thank you, mr. speaker. the third district of nebraska is one of the largest agriculture districts in the country and is home to more than 30,000 farmers and ranchers. yesterday, the house ag committee took the first step on the road leading to a new farm bill taking a comprehensive look at the agriculture sector, it requires us to be direct about the impact of policies coming from washington to the agriculture producers across the country. measures like the house-passed cap and trade bill will have dire consequences for agriculture. as higher energy prices hit other areas of our economy, farmers and ranchers will pay more for seed, fertilizer, equipment, energy and other supplies. my goal is to create policies that will strengthen u.s. agriculture and provide

long-term stability to u.s. producers who feed america and the world. we must not continue to saddle producers with onerous regulations which stand in the way of growth and lead to more uncertainty. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from maryland rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. cummings: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise to ask the securities and exchange commission to do their job. the letter mr. defazio and i wrote to the s.e.c. asks for nothing more and nothing less. the s.e.c. has sued goldman sachs for potential fraud. rather than jumping to the conclusion that there was no fraud or simply convicting goldman sachs in public opinion, mr. defazio and our 60 co-sponsors asked for an expanded investigation by the s.e.c. should fraud be found we ask that any taxpayer money paid by a.i.g. and obtained through fraudulent transactions be recovered. finally, we're asking that evidence of criminal wrongdoing

be turned over to the justice department. the s.e.c. must be serious about reining in companies who ignore our laws. i am committed to this cause. mr. defazio is committed to our cause and our co-sponsors are committed to this cause. i ask all of my colleagues to sign onto the letter and join us. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> mr. speaker, i introduced a bill that would eliminate sweetheart deals. recently, the current health care bill that got passed, i know in my area in my town hall meetings talking to a lot of americans, people are concerned about the health care bill that was just passed but they're outraged about the sweetheart deals. what do i mean? the $300 million that went to louisiana purchase, $100 million that went to a hospital in connecticut. people are outraged because they feel it's their money, it's their taxpayer money and they're very concerned about it.

they feel it's buying votes, and that's the reason i think we have such a low approval rating in this country because they view it as back room deals, secret deals. this bill will eliminate all sweetheart deals that are in this bill. i ask my colleagues to join me in eliminating sweetheart deals in the current health care legislation. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. hall: mr. speaker, a critical component of our economic recovery is tax relief for our middle class. i rise today to urge my colleagues to support the a.m.t. adjustment act, which eliminates the a.m.t. from the lives of most middle-class families and greatly reduces it for the rest. and places with a high cost of living like new york's hudson valley, more and more middle-class taxpayers find themselves paying the excessive a.m.t. we must restore balance to the tax code and prevent this millionaires tax from hitting

the middle class for once and for all. h.r. 5077 increases the amount of income exempt from the a.m.t. and permanently fixes the tax by indexing it to the cost of living. tax day is bad enough already and it shouldn't have big surprises to the tune of thousands of dollars our families have to pay. congress must stand up for the middle class, and i urge support for this bill. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from alabama rise? >> to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized. >> thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to express my serious concern about the way the administration is dealing with israel and how destructive i think their behavior is to our relationship. i would like to remind the administration that the overwhelming majority of the members of congress, democrat and republican, but the overwhelming majority of americans fiercely support our friend, israel, and expect the administration to reflect that in their behavior. we have had this president go

to saudi arabia and to egypt to re-emphasize how important it is to improve relations with the muslim nations. he didn't visit israel while he was over there to emphasize how important it was to keep and maintain and support our relationship with that jewish state. we have had vice president biden go there and condemn the construction of apartments in jerusalem. secretary clinton did the same thing. vice president biden was an hour and a half late with the dinner with the president of israel. when president obama met with netanyahu at the white house he walked out on that dinner. how disrespectful. we expect more from our president when dealing with israel than this disrespect. we expect the re-empization of our support with israel. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from maine rise? ms. pingree: thank you, mr. speaker, to address the house for one minute and to revise

and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. pingree: thank you. thank you, mr. speaker. this week we mark equal payday, a day when we recognize the unequal pay of women in this country. today, women still only make 77 cents to every dollar earned by men. but this disparity is not a women's issue, it's a family issue. there are just as many women as there are men in the work force now, and women are the breadwinner or co-breadwinner in about 2/3 of all american families. that's why all of us, men and women alike, have such a big stake in eliminating this gap. i was proud that my first speech as a freshman in this body was in support of the lilly ledbetter fair pay act, and when that legislation became the first bill president obama signed when caming -- taking office. i was proud when lilly ledbetter visited maine last month. and they passed a comparable work law and eliminating pay discrimination in our state.

we have so much more to do. because when women are paid less everyone suffers, thank you, mr. speaker. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady from maine yields back her time. for what purpose does the gentlelady from north carolina rise? ms. foxx: to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. foxx: thank you, mr. speaker. what's the difference between an orderly liquidation fund and taxpayer funded bailout? there is no difference. senate democrats say they need $50 billion to create a new fund so the government can wind down failing financial firms. house democrats want $100 billion more. both bills increase taxes on consumers at a time when they can least afford it. once the bailout fund is in place, government bureaucrats will decide which wall street firms are too big to fail and then they'll use your hard-earned dollars to pay off the firm's creditors. sound familiar? it's what they did for companies like a.i.g. with the $700 billion tarp bailout. now democrats are pushing tarp 2, they want to give the government the power of a permanent bailout fund to get

back in the game of deciding which of their wall street friends to rescue. and the bill does nothing about fannie mae and freddie mac, the two enterprises at the heart of the economic meltdown. our measured deals with fannie and freddie and places failed firms into bankruptcy. it provides better and smarter reform stopping the policy of too big to fail and protects taxpayers by ending bailout once and for all. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from california rise? >> to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. speier: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today on the 40th anniversary of earth day to support the millions of people around the world who are dedicating their time and service to protecting our environment. i commend all of our citizens for their efforts to clean up our environment. but most of all i look forward to seeing what our -- what we in congress will do to support them. i hope this will include passage of legislation i recently

introduced that will restore and protect the largest estuary on the west coast, the san francisco bay and it's water shed, which are a national treasure and resource of worldwide significance. i also encourage all of us to stand with our constituents this week who are lending their time and service to activities to clean up our environment. one town in my district expects over 5,000 people to dedicate their day to clean up the local shoreline. earth day is truly about service and it's a great opportunity for friends and neighbors to come together on behalf of our planet. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yield back -- yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. you know, with all this talk about another big bank bailout and protecting companies that are too big to fail, i think we need to bring things back into perspective. the government should not be in

the business of picking winners and losers. especially not at the expense of the american taxpayer. america was built on freedom and free enterprise. our founding fathers never envisioned a big brother government so entrenched in the private sector that it would prop up companies like fannie and freddie, rescue wall street, bailout a.i.g., and own car companies. what incentive does a corporation have to be responsible to its employees, customers, communities, and shareholders if it knows uncle sam's going to be there to pick up the pieces when it falls apart? with unemployment at 10% and companies hesitant to hire new workers, i think the democrats should realize it's time to stop playing c.e.o. with taxpayer dollars. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from california rise? >> to address the house for one minute.

revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. farr: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today to commemorate earth day and speak of the important role our oceans play in combating global warming. as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of earth day, we must remember that earth day issues are closely linked to ocean health. think about it. 70% of the earth is covered by water. the ocean plays a key role in climate formation. it is not only the atmosphere that collects co-2 but also the oceans are trapping co-2. that is why we have melting icecaps, rising sea levels, hotter than average temperatures, and more severe storms and periods of drought. and alarming increases in ocean acidity. ocean acid if i -- acidfication has impact on salmon. as we learn about our responsibility for sustainable well-being of our planet, we

must become concerned citizens of oceans as well. earth day is ocean day. think about it. there is more ocean than earth. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from texas rise? >> to address the house for one minute. ask unanimous consent to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. olson: mr. speaker, i rise to make americans aware of a contest being held by the environmental protection agency. in an attempt to explain how the bureaucracy works, the e.p.a. has announced a video contest to encourage citizens to create videos that explain the federal rule making process. the reward for showing how the government operates is a prize of $2,500. to some i realize that might not seem like a lot of money, but as my friend, marsha blackburn, pointed out, $2,500 is the total tax contribution for working

american making just under $30,000 a year. do we really want to did any -- ask any american to hand their total tax payment over to someone who made a youtube video? mr. speaker, we must restore fiscal discipline in the federal government and ending this kind of spending is a good place to start. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from mississippi rise? >> permission to address the house for one minute. revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the life of ms. orene bernice. a singular woman of accomplish style and beauty. her home was ashland, mississippi, where she was a true partner of her husband, famed attorney. they served together in the mississippi legislature, the first couple to do so in our state and the united states. they became the parents of four exceptional children, john booth, steve, and jeff, kate. the household was a lively and

hospitable one always open to friends and children's friends. ms. reese taught by example. she founded the ashland p.t.a. and the arts festival, served as a scout and church leader, and present at every activity involving her children. 1938, she graduate interested blue mountain college, a monumental accomplishment for a woman at that time. through her continued leadership she was a role model for young women in ashland, affirming that they, too, could accomplish anything with their live lives. they put the tiny town of ashland on the map and raised the bar for everyone. today the children continue the legacy of giving begun by their parents. i ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this sterling example of mississippi womanhood and her life. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york rise? >> to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. >> thank you, mr. speaker. over the last 10 years

washington failed to regulate our financial marketplaces and some people on wall street took advantage of that to take ridiculous and dangerous risk with dollars that they couldn't back up. this must never be allowed to map again. all across america we know what happened. when wall street welted down, main street paid the price. it's time for us to put in place commonsense reform to fix this system. i was proud to support the financial reform that we passed here in the house last fall and i look forward to getting a final bill in front of us. we must make sure that taxpayers never again are responsible for bailing out failed financial institutions. we must also protect our consumers from some of the risky and predatory behavior we saw in the marketplace from unregulated organizations, pushing mortgages that couldn't be afforded. and we've got to inject transparency and accountability into our financial system. the fresh light of day will disinfect so many of the ills in our financial system. this is about more than just

reform, it's about strengthening the system and strengthening our economy and strengthening all of us in this country. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. berman: i ask unanimous consent to take from the speaker's table h.r. 2194 with the senate amendment thereto, disagree to the amendment, and agree to a conference requested by the senate on the disagreeing votes of the two houses.

the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 2194, an act to amend the iran sanctions act of 1996 to enhance united states diplomatic efforts with respect to iran by expanding economic sanctions against iran. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to the request from the gentleman from california? without objection, so ordered. the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i have a motion to instruct conferees at the desk. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the motion. the clerk: ms. ros-lehtinen of florida moves that the managers on the part of the house at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two houses on the senate amendment to the bill h.r. 2194 be instructed, one, to insist on the provisions of 2194, a bill to amend the iran sanctions act of 1996, to enhance united states diplomatic efforts with respect to iran by expanding economic sanctions against iran, as passed by the

house on december 15, 2009, and, two, to complete the work and present a conference report and joint explanatory statement by no later than may 28, 2010. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 7 of rule 22, the gentlelady from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen, and the gentleman from california, mr. berman, each will control 30 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd like to yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you. mr. speaker, this motion comes at a critical time in our effort to prevent iran from dealing a devastating blow to the security of our nation, the security of our closest allies, and to global security and stability. the gravest threat comes from iran's rapidly advancing nuclear weapons program. last week lieutenant general burgess, the director of the defense intelligence agency, and

general cartwright, the vice chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, testified that iran could produce enough weapons grade fuel for nuclear weapon within one year. about even with this alarming scenario, we may be too optimistic given the iranian regime's long history of deception. last december yet another secret iranian nuclear facility was revealed. an underground ukraine yun enrichment plant. inspectors from the international atomic energy agency or iaea reportedly concluded that this facility's capacity is too small to be of use in producing fuel for civilian nuclear power, but is well configured to produce material for one or two nuclear weapons a year. the regime has already announced that it intends to build 10 new uranium enrichment plants and will start construction on two in this coming year. there is mounting evidence that

iran has been working on a nuclear warhead for many years. the iaea's iran's report from february of this year stated that its inspectors had uncovered extensive evidence of, "past or current undisclosed activities" to develop a nuclear warhead. that same iaea report, mr. speaker, raised concerns, "about the possible existence in iran of undisclosed activities related to the development of a nuclear payload for a missile." iran has long been at work in ballistic missiles and already has the ability to strike u.s. forces and our allies in the middle east such as israel and in many other areas. but iran is not stopping there, a recent unclassified report by the department of defense estimated that iran may be able

to strike the united states with a missile by the year 2015. the threat posed by the iranian regime's nuclear ballistic missile and unconventional weapons capabilities is magnified by its continued support of violent extremism. according to this pentagon report, iran is, "furnishing lethal aid to iraqi shiia militia militants and afghan insurgents, and iran provide lebanese, hezbollah, and palestinian terrorist groups with funding, weapons, and training to oppose israel." the same report stated that, "iran through its long-standing relationship with lebanese hezbollah maintains the capability to strike israel directly and to threaten israeli and u.s. interest worldwide." we know that iran has a long track record in using these capabilities.

the pentagon report confirms that the iranian regime has been involved in or has been behind what the report describes as "some of the deadliest terrorist attacks of the past two decades ," mr. speaker, including the 1983 and 1984 bombing of the u.s. embassy and annex in beirut, the 1983 coming of the marine barracks in beirut, the 1994 attack on the amia jewish community center in argentina, the 1996 khobar towers bombing in saudi arabia, and many of the insurgent attacks on coalition and iraqi security forces in iraq since 2003, end quote. in other words, when the iranian regime threatens america and israel with disruption, over and over again, they may mean it. today the iranian revolutionary guard is scheduled to begin a

three-day exercise involving the missiles and other weapons to demonstrate their ability to dominate the persian gulf and the strait of hormuz, the choke point for much of the world oil supply. 7. diplomacy and engagement has had nothing on tehran. deadlines set by the obama administration for compliance has been repeatedly disregarded. now, the strategy appears to be resting on securing a new u.n. security council resolution. however, russia and china see themselves as friends of the regime in tehran and have public low stated that they will not support -- publicly stated that they will not support a resolution that will put significant pressure on tehran. in fact, "the new york times" reported last week that

secretary of defense robert gates, quote, in a secret memorandum to top white house officials that the united states does not have, does not have an effective long-range policy for dealing with iran's steady progress toward nuclear capability, end quote. mr. speaker, the congress must fill this vacuum. we must not sit idly by and wait for iran to detonate a nuclear device. in february of 2006, the congress adopted a concurrent resolution citing the iranian regime's repeated violations of its international obligations, underscoring that as a result of these violations iran no longer has the right to develop any aspect of the nuclear fuel cycle and urging responsible nations to impose economic sanctions to deny iran the resources and the ability to develop nuclear weapons. then, we moved to strengthen

u.s. sanctions on iran and to render support to iranian human rights and pro-democracy advocates through the passage of the iran freedom support act of 2006. yet again, the u.s. has yet to bring to bare the full supports of -- bear the full support. we have failed to act decisively before. this may be the last chance to apply pressure on iran before it is too late. so the motion to instruct asks the conferees to conclude their work by may 28, it is my hope, mr. speaker, that we will not wait that long. we must strike at the regime's vulnerabilities and do so quickly and effectively. as such, the motion to instruct conferees insists on the house passed version of h.r. 2194,

the iran refined petroleum sanctions act, also known as irpsa. chairman berman and i along with several members of the foreign house subcommittee have wanted to deal with imported petroleum products, especially gasoline. the house passed it overwhelmingly on december 15 by a vote of 412-12. the sanctions bill we enact must match the gravity of the grow threat. there are several provisions that the conference report must contain if this legislation is to have any signature impact. because iran's energy sector and its dependence on refined petroleum are the regime's achilles' heel, in the motion to instruct we must insist on

sections 3-a and 3-b regarding the development of iran's petroleum resources and the export of refined petroleum products to iran. we must not reward countries that allow their businesses and citizens to provide assistance to iran's nuclear missile or advance conventional weapons program to be rewarded with a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement. therefore, the house must insist on section 3-c, which prohibits such agreements being submitted to congress or entering into force. we must -- we must insist, mr. speaker, on those provisions because the executive branch has not once applied sanctions under the iran sanctions act on investments in the iranian energy sector. this problem originated more than a decade ago when former secretary state albright exercised a sweeping waiver that turned that act into a

paper tiger. and the state department continues to ignore mandatory sanctions under that act on those who are assisting iran's proliferation activities. we must also ensure that section 3-d removes ambiguities regarding the president's waiver authority and thereby will ensure the speedy implementation of sanctions. and we must insist on section 3-f which expands the definition of petroleum resources and products and closes loopholes in the original iran sanctions act that have been repeatedly exploited by others. because the iranian threat will continue to grow, the house must insist also on section 3-h, which extends the iranian sanctions act by five years. and because we must not let those who have already violated

our laws off the hook, we must insist on sections 4-a-1, 4-a-2 and 4-b-1. mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support this motion and ask conferees to embrace it and commit to sending the strongest possible bill to the president's desk. the clock is ticking. the centrifuges in iran are spinning. our time has almost run out. and with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. the chair will receive a message. the messenger: mr. speaker, a message from the senate. the speaker pro tempore: madam secretary. the secretary: i have been directed by the senate to inform the house that the senate has agree to h.con.res 222, recognizing the leadership and hiss tore contributions -- historical contributions of dr. hector garcia to the hispanic

community. the speaker pro tempore: the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. berman: mr. speaker, i rise in strong support of the ranking member's motion to instruct. the world faces no security threat greater than the prospect of a nuclear armed iran. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. berman: we must make certain that the prospect never becomes a reality. a nuclear iran would menace, intimidate and ultimately dominate its neighbors. it would be virtually impervious from any type of pressure from the west, regardless of any support of terrorism or the question of freedom and human rights at home and would touch off a nuclear arms race in the middle east that would almost inevitably lead to can t.s.a. row free. and -- catastrophe. and worst of all, they may use

its nuclear arms against those they see as enemies. iran quite possibly will be capable of developing and delivering a nuclear weapon in the next three to five years. in our -- and our task of preventing iran from achieving nuclear weapons capability is made more complicated by the fact that we all know that our best weapon for fighting this battle, economic sanctions, takes time to work. so we need the strongest possible sanctions and we need them fast. that's why i support this motion to instruct. the house bill, h.r. 2194, the iran refined petroleum sanctions act, is a good, strong measure, and i and my colleagues will fight for it in conference. we will work with the senate on measures to help iran's brave dissidents circumvent regime efforts to block their communications. the gentleman from florida, our

colleague from florida will speak about an additional provision with respect to state decisions to disinvest that we want to include in this conference report. and i want to send this bill to the president by or before the may 28 deadline proposed in the motion to instruct. this bill, along with the senate bill, has already done much good. in recent months in anticipation of our sanctions becoming law, several major energy companies have ceased selling refined petroleum to iran. others have announced they will not make new investments in iranian energy. they are making the sensible choice that our bill encourages, choosing the u.s. market over the iranian market. more will make that choice when our bill becomes law. meanwhile, our bill is goating other nations to intensify their efforts to achieve a sanctions resolution in the u.n. security council, and our own executive branch is getting the message that congress is able and willing to take the

grave matter of sanctions into our own hands. april 30 will make one year since we first introduced this sanctions legislation. since then iran has increased the number of its working centrifuges and reached the one bomb equivalent level on the stock of low-enriched uranium. it has reached uranium to 20%, a big step to mastering the process of weapons-grade uranium and has installed 21st century sentry fugse and has built a secret reactor near kohm that could have only been intended for bomb-making purposes and has announced plans to build 10 more reactors. iran is contempt of the international community, and i had hoped that a u.n. security council resolution requiring tough sanctions following immediately thereafter by additional muscular sanctions imposed by the european union

would have happened by now. i know the administration is doing everything possible to bring that result about. unfortunately, we're now nearly four months into 2010 with iran on the verge of nuclear weapons capability and a u.n. security council resolution remains an uncertain prospect. we cannot wait any longer. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm so pleased to yield two minutes to the gentleman from indiana, mr. burton, the ranking member of the foreign affairs subcommittee on middle east and south asia. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. burton: i thank the gentlelady for yielding. you know, i think my colleagues have very eloquently explained the contents of the bill and what we need to do. but the thing i'd like to talk about for a minute or two is the ramifications for america and the rest of the world if we don't do something. we get about 30% to 40% of our

energy from the middle east, and if i were talking to the american people i would just say to you that if you look at your lights and you look at the energy you need for your car and for everything else, heating your house, you need to realize that if iran develops a nuclear capability and that whole area becomes a war zone, the persian gulf, where a lot of oil is transported to, we will see a terrible problem as far as our energy is concerned and that would directly effect our energy. it's important we do something and do something very, very quickly. we've waited too long. we've talked about negotiating with iran and putting sanctions on them for the past four or five years, trying to get our allies to work with us. the fact of the matter is nothing has happened and iran continues to thumb their nose at the rest of the world. and this is a terrible, terrible threat, a terrorist state, iran, with nuclear weapons is not only a threat to the middle east, to israel, our

best ally over there, but it's a threat to every single one of us. and they're also working on intermediate range missiles and possibly intercontinental ballistic missiles. and if they get those, nobody's safe. so it's extremely important that we take whatever measures is necessary to stop iran from developing nuclear weapons. now, today we're taking a great first step, and i hope that when this goes to the conference committee we will come out with something strong that it will have an impact on what iran does. but if it doesn't, it's important that everybody in the world realize we have to stop iran from developing nuclear weapons because it's a threat to every single person on this planet in one way or another. we got to stop nuclear proliferation, but the first thing we have to do is stop iran, a terrorist state, from getting nuclear weapons. i thank the gentlelady for the time. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. berman: i'm pleased to yield three minutes to the distinguished member of the

foreign affairs committee, the gentlelady from texas, ms. sheila jackson lee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for three minutes. ms. jackson lee: i thank the chairman very much both for his leadership and for this opportunity with the ranking member to really discuss and reinforce some of the principles that many of us support in a bipartisan manner. i rise today to simply encourage the conference on this legislation and to be able to chronicle simply efforts that i think were not wasteful but constructive. i do believe the administration's effort at engagement was constructive and not wasteful. it is always important for those of us who are lawyers to create the record. the building blocks for the final decision of the court of law. in this instance the court of law is the combination of the

american people, this congress, and this administration. and it is likewise the world community, the united nations. also the people of iran are speaking and they are speaking loudly. no one can forget that fateful picture of a young lady lying in her own blood during the rising of the people of iran, not provoked by any world standards or provocation, but for the people of iran simply saying, enough of the despotism of this administration of their country, enough is enough. and they were willing to die in the streets. they took to the buildings to make loud noises at night. and they continue to pounce over and over again. iran is a challenge and it is a terrorist around the world. having just come back from yemen, bahrain, qatar, and pakistan, everywhere you went

individuals, leaders in government were willing to indicate what a threat iran was. just yesterday in a hearing on syria, questions are now rising as to iran's participation in funding hezbollah to go into lebanon. of course some of those particular points are being denied. but frankly i think if there is any reason to move forward on a conference, it is the concept of the disruption of iran in the region. there are those in the middle east who want peace, from jordan to israel to other places around, they want peace. we begin to look at yemen, that is in a distant low case, place where i visited, we know it is an al qaeda cresse pool. we know there are -- cesspool. we know there are young men there susceptible to recruitment. we here in this country must provide the moral standarding of

peace and democracy for those who desire so. so i rise to support the people of iran, those who are willing to sacrifice their lives and go into the streets. it is well-known that whatever we have tried to do, the engagement of a cold war, the standoff iran continues to seemingly put forward its nuclear efforts. i ask for support of this legislation and i ask for our colleagues to vote for this motion. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady's time has expired. the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm honored to yield two minutes to the gentleman from california, mr. royce, the ranking member on the foreign affairs subcommittee on terrorism, nonproliferation, and trade. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. royce: i thank the gentlelady for yielding time. as ranking member of the subcommittee on terrorism, nonproliferation, and trade, i strongly support this motion to instruct. i think it's important for all of us to realize that right now iran is at its weakest point in

terms of its capacity to manufacture enough refined petroleum. it has to, it has to at this point for its gasoline import that into the nation. and already the impact, the effect of this legislation even coming up on the floor has been effective in backing companies away from doing business with iran. imagine what the effect will be if we pass this legislation. imagine the impact it will have and the pressure that it will bring to bear, because the threat of this legislation has already produced a situation in iran that is very, very difficult for civil society and is making people understand the costs and consequences for iran to continue down this road. now, this morning the g.a.o. will release a report that shows that foreign commercial activity in iran's energy sector is going to begin to increase.

and that will provide cash for iran's nuclear program. that's why this bill is so important. a similar report three years ago showed half as many companies involved in this sector. now it's on the increase. the usual way of doing business, of not standing up to the russians and the chinese and to others, cannot continue. we have to take action. time is not on our side. enrichment capability, the key aspect of a nuclear weapons program is being mastered by that government. not so long ago i remember talking here on the floor about iran's 164 center fugse and now the progress is -- centrifuges and now the progress is measured in thousands. it is working on a weapon design, my colleagues. and may have a missile to carry that warhead to the united states within five years' time. today the world's top terrorist state has its tent cals throughout the region. i thank you.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. berman: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield two minutes to the gentleman from virginia, mr. moran. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. moran: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the chairman for his leadership on this issue. as the chairman knows, i have some reservations about the effectiveness of a sanctions regime, but there's no question in my mind but the worst thing that can happen is military confrontation, because that would, in fact, unite the iranian people against america and on the wrong side of history. you no, 7 -- now, it is too easy to think of iran as a monolithic people. the reality is that iran is the successor to the great persian civilization and is a very diverse civilization.

i share the chairman's concern about the current government of iran, which i doubt think is consistent with persia's history. and in fact their actions have been inexplicable and inexcusable. and the chairman is right, obviously, to respond. but the reality is that a very substantial portion of the iranian population, perhaps the majority, in fact embraces american values of democracy and human rights and individual freedoms of expression, collective gathering, and freedom of worship. but they are not able to do that today. and i appreciate the fact that the chairman is determined to allow the technology that would enable the population to communicate, to communicate their ideas. in fact, to mobilize for the best interest of their nation

and their future. we also limit the availability of technology that the regime is using for precisely the opposite purposes. to censor and provide -- perform surveillance against those people who would like to empower the iranian people to take control of their own future. this bill will be supported, it should be supported. i appreciate the chairman's leadership. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i would like to yield an additional minute to the gentleman from -- mr. royce, the ranking member of the foreign affairs subcommittee on terrorism, nonproliferation, and trade, he was about to finish his thought and i wasn't looking up. i apologize. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. royce: for those of us who have engaged this region and watched neighboring countries to iran watched their propensity to react as iran has sped up its development, each of these

countries are now looking at going nuclear. and i'd ask my colleagues to think about those neighbors of iran that would create a heavily nuclearized middle east should iran succeed in this and what the impact would be. we can only imagine the turmoil and the tensions that will come to the middle east should we not succeed in this effort to prevent iran from developing these nuclear weapons. tomorrow's nuclear iran would thus have a compounding effect with severe consequences for regional security and as i pointed out earlier for u.s. security. the time for action is long past -- passed. this bill will greatly help because it targets iran's achilles' heel at perhaps the only time that we can effectively do that. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california.

mr. berman: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield two minutes to the author of florida legislation, with respect to disinvestment from iran's energy sector, our newest member, the gentleman from florida, mr. deutch. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. deutch: thank you, mr. speaker. the motion before us today is based on the simple fact that a nuclear armed iran is an unacceptable threat to our national security. poses an exy tension threat to our vital ally, israel, and unite a destabilizing arms race. we must take whatever action is necessary to prevent iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. its president denies the holocaust and openly declared his intention to wipe israel off the map.

to be included among the powerful sanctions in this legislation is the removal of barriers that state pension boards raise which prevent the divestment of holdings in companies that help to fund iran's nuclear weapons program. in 2007, the florida legislature passed critical legislation that mandated that workers' pension funds could not be used to support iranian nuclear weapons. in florida alone we removed more than $1 billion from companies that put their profits ahead of this nation's national security. that is but one state. this legislation will permit every state to die vest from iran just as florida and 20 other states have already done. the divestment effort will become a full-fledged movement. the threat from iran is real. this threat is unacceptable and it demands this aggressive effort on the part of the united states and our allies. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the

balance of his time. the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, i would like to yield three minutes to the gentleman from texas, judge poe, a member of the committee on foreign affairs , because that's just the way it is. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for three minutes. mr. poe: i thank the gentlelady for yielding. mr. speaker, iran is the world threat. they along with north korea are working together to plot and build nuclear weapons to threaten the rest of the world. ahmadinejad, the little fellow from the desert, has already said that when he gets nuclear weapons his first target is tel aviv in israel. he's made it clear to the world he wants to destroy israel and he wants nuclear weapons. he wants missiles from north korea to do that. but his threat is not just to the israelis, it's to the entire region. and even to the united states. he continues to rant about how he wants the destruction of the west. he helps hezbollah in the north and he helps hamas in the south. both to engage and cause terror in israel.

his answer, our answer has been let's talk to them. let's tell the iranians they are not playing nice. that they are going to cause problems in the world. mr. speaker, we cannot adopt the neble chamberlain philosophy and fool ourselves that the iranians will honestly negotiate with the world. they lie to the world and the united states so they can buy time to build their nuclear weapons. more talking will not bring peace in our time. it will only allow them to build nuclear weapons. so this sanction must work. it must be enforced. prevent companies from dealing with our enemy government, the iranian government, and not allow iran to receive refined gasoline. and we must mean it and we must enforce this. the long-term solution with iran is, there is a regime change. we hope the good people of iran change their rogue government. a government that doesn't even represent the people. a government that had fraudulent

elections last year and took over control again. our government, our country, our people must be vocal about the support of the resistance movement and hopefully remove their government by themselves and peaceably set up a government that represents the world and will bring peace to the world. that is the great hope for iran. that is the great hope for the world as a peaceable regime change in iran. but right now we need sanctions. and we need to let them know we mean it because we are not going to continue to talk forever and hope that they will negotiate and play nice. that's just the way it is. i yield back. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california. mr. berman: yes. i'm pleased to yield three minutes to the gentlelady from california, ms. harman. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for three minutes. ms. harman: i thank my california colleague for yielding to me and commend him for his leadership on this issue. mr. speaker, in the course of my service on virtually all of

the security-related committees in this house, i have visited some of the most dangerous and austere places on the planet, rugged and remote areas that has terrorists. i am asked to name those countries i think poses a threat to the united states. iraq, pakistan, afghanistan, yemen. my answer every time is iran, iran, iran. given the zeal with which it promotes and supports instability in the middle east, it's my -- it's arming of and financial assistance to hezbollah and hamas and its march towards a nuclear weapons capability in my view no other country comes close. the question that confronts us is how to confront their government to abandon a nuclear weapons program.

most agree that a multilateral approach is likely to sked. our efforts with the e.u. led by stuart levy have been effective but they haven't yet changed iran's course. our country must continue its leadership role, our efforts to diplomacy and economic sanctions must drive stronger, multilateral diplomacy and sanctions. that's why congress must move to conference on iran sanctions legislation and enact by an overwhelming bipartisan package that includes sanctions on iran and cripple iran's ability to import refined petroleum products. let me be clear, mr. speaker. our problem is not with the iranian people but with its government's reckless policies. iran with nuclear weapons not only poses an exowe tension threat to israel, but to us and to countries everywhere which

espouse democratic values. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm honored to yield two minutes to the gentleman from illinois, mr. kirk, an esteemed member of the committee on appropriations. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. kirk: thank you, mr. speaker. as the iranians accelerate their nuclear program, indications are that america may be losing its nerve. in its latest report to congress, the c.i.a. said iran continued to expand its nuclear infrastructure and continued uranium enrichment. this follows a report by the u.n.'s iaea that iran has enriched uranium and is halfway to its goal of making bomb-grade fissile material. we know that iran's greatest weakness is its dependence on foreign gasoline. they have mishandled iran's economy since 1979 that this

leading opec leading nation is depending on gasoline for 40% of its needs. i wrote a material -- an article trying to end gasoline sales. i want to thank chairman berman and ranking member ros-lehtinen for bringing this bill to the floor. in these partisan times now, when have 54 senators and congressmen agreed on anything? but they agree on cutting off iran's gasoline. but now without decisive bipartisan action soon, the security of our children and our allies may depend on the good behavior of a terrorist nation now armed with the most dangerous weapon. so as congress has been sleeping, i think we should wake up. we should finally sign this

bipartisan bill. to congress, pass this legislation. to the president, sign it and then seal off iran's gasoline. without unilateral actions to cut off iran's gasoline, no other sanctions policy is serious. we it we have a chance to remove a great danger to the security of americans and israeli children. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back his time. the gentleman from california. mr. berman: yes, mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield two minutes to the gentlelady from new york, mrs. lowey, the chair of the foreign operations subcommittee of appropriations. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for two minutes. mrs. lowey: mr. speaker, i want to thank the chair for your leadership on this very important issue, and i want to express my strong support for h.r. 2194, the iran refined petroleum sanctions act that mandates tighter sanctions

against the iranian regime. with its continued defiance of the international community and the clock ticking on their nuclear capabilities, now is the time for action. this week iran announced testing of various missiles and weapons capability. u.s. officials have said that iran could develop a ballistic missile capable of striking the u.s. by 2015. and iran's continued threats to our strongest ally in the middle east, israel, presents dire global security implications. i urge the conferees to act with haste to address these urgent challenges with tough, crippling sanctions. but the speed with which congress finalizes this legislation, to sanction iran, the message to the international community that time is of the essence if we are to contain iran's threats

through security, stability and prosperity worldwide. again, i thank the gentleman from california and the gentlewoman from florida for their efforts. i urge my colleagues to vote in support of this motion to instruct, and i yield back the balance. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the motion to instruct. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, sir. and i yield two minutes to the gentleman from illinois, mr. roskam, a member of the committee on ways and means. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. roskam: thank you, mr. speaker, and i thank the gentlelady for yielding. you know, not long ago i was briefed by an official on iran's provocative action and he gave a challenge in that briefing and he said, print out on your computer a red line. print a big, thinking red bar

on a white sheet of paper. you think it's a solid red line, but if you look at it up close what you will see is a series of tiny little pink lines all pushed together. but they're individual little lines. he said what iran has figured out is they have figured out a way to break through one tiny little line at a time, just one at a time, one at a time, one at a time. and that is why we're here today, because we in the west, we in the united states are onto what the iranian leadership is doing. they're being incredibly provocative. there is no nuclear ambition for iran. this is a regime that has said that israel, our greatest ally in the middle east, has no right to exist. they said one provocative thing after another. and history is filled, mr. speaker, with examples of weakness and ambiguity in foreign affairs. and what is the result?

largely the result is calamity. now, we have a chance to be united, for all of us to come together and say we are not going to stand with this, we have come up with a remedy and it's time for the conferees to move forward and to create this very tough and solid sanctions against the petroleum products going into iran. and i urge the conferees to move quickly, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california. mr. berman: yes, mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield two minutes to the gentleman from ohio, mr. kucinich. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. kucinich: i support the obama administration's historic efforts at nuclear nonproliferation and nuclear security. it's a recognition that our security depends on dialogue and negotiation between nations. it was reflected in a proposal that was made last year to freeze iran's nuclear programs at existing levels. now, in december of last year, i led the effort to oppose h.r.

2194, the iran refined petroleum sanctions act, and i stand here today almost five months later to reaffirm my objection to the underlying bill. five months later we have not come any closer to diplomatic resolutions to objections to iran's nuclear proliferation program or attempted to amend the language of the iran sanctions bill to ensure it has not come at the cost of the well-being of the iranian people we come to support. iran imports 40% of its gasoline. leaders of iran are not going to lack for gasoline, but the people of iran will suffer. we have to ask ourselves, will this cause them to turn against their government or will it cause them to turn against the united states and our efforts to bring about a succession of iran's nuclear program? if we cared aboutite rainian people, we would not be -- if we cared about the iranian people, we would not be on the house floor talking about this. we need to focus on efforts to address the egregious human

rights, civil liberties and civil rights abuses that they endure. the legislation under consideration will only play into their hands of the iranian regime by diverting attention away from the significant social and economic problems that must be addressed. i fear that this legislation will actually strengthen the hard liners in iran and i'm sure that's not what we want to happen. this legislation will undermine any future references by the administration to engage diplomatic low with iran by limiting the tools the administration can use, reports suggest that had iranians have delayed any agreements with the united states for fuel swap due to internal divisions. we must stand in support of the courageous battle for human rights and democracy that the iranian people are engaged in. many at the cost of their lives. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from arizona, mr. franks, a member of the armed services and judiciary committees. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two

minutes. mr. franks: and i thank the gentlelady. mr. speaker, the ominous intersection of jihadist terrorism and nuclear proliferation has been relentlessly rolling toward america and the free world for decades. we now find ourselves living in a time when the terrorist state of iran is on the brink of developing nuclear weapons. mr. speaker, if that occurs, all other issues will be wiped from the table because whatever challenges we have in dealing with iran today will pale in comparison in dealing with iran that has nuclear weapons. and yet, mr. speaker, the obama administration seems to remain asleep at the wheel. we see repeated signals that the obama administration may already be adopting a policy of containment. it is beyond my ability to express the danger of such a policy, mr. speaker. i am afraid that the last window we will ever have to stop iran from gaining nuclear

weapons is rapidly closing. and while it is unlikely that the bill before us will be enough to prevent iran from gaining nuclear weapons by itself, it is a step in the right direction, and i applaud its sponsors and i only pray that the obama administration will wake up in time to prevent iran from becoming a nuclear armed nation and begin to threaten the peace of the human family and bring nuclear terrorism to this and future generations. and, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from california. mr. berman: yes, mr. speaker. could i get the time remaining on each side? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california has 13 1/2 minutes. the gentlelady from florida has 6 1/2. mr. berman: mr. speaker, i am going to yield myself -- i am going to yield myself one minute at this time. the speaker pro tempore: one minute? mr. berman: yes. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. berman: thank you. my friend from ohio, mr. kucinich, articulated his reasons for opposing this legislation. we are now, of course, voting on a motion to instruct on the legislation, but i want to just take issue with several of his points. the reason there has not been a diplomatic resolution of the problem is because the regime in iran has refused to engage in any meaningful and serious way in a resolution which would require them to change their behavior, to end their ambition to obtain a nuclear weapons capability and that is where the blame lies. it is not because diplomatic alternatives have been ignored. it's because they've been undertaken and rebuffed by the regime in iran. secondly, i very much disagree with the notion that our response flew hopefully tough

robust sanctions, the kinds of sanctions -- i yield myself an additional minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. berman: the -- i disagree very much with the gentleman's contention that our effort to seek to change iranian behavior and reverse iran's decision to pursue nuclear weapons through the imp position of strong -- imposition of strong, robust, meaningful legislation through tough international sanctions by the community of nations is going to cause the iranian people to turn against us and on behalf of their regime. . these are people who have been subject to execution, murder, imprisonment, all kinds of repression, efforts to suppress their speech and their political liberties by that regime and

have taken great risks, notwithstanding the way that regime has reacted. i would suggest that those people will no more than anyone that the consequences that are befalling the people of iran are a result of the regime's behavior not the international community and american efforts -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, i'm so honored to yield five minutes to the gentleman from virginia, mr. cantor, our esteemed republican whip and a member of the committee of ways and means. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. cantor: i thank the gentlelady and thank you, mr. speaker. i want to salute first of all the gentlelady's leadership on this issue as well as that of the gentleman from california in bringing this to the floor. and would also like to thank the majority leader for bringing this to the floor as well. mr. speaker, last year the new administration came to power insisting it had a new approach that would head off the looming threat of a nuclear iran.

by talking to and engaging with the regime in tehran, the administration said we could convince the world's most active state sponsor of terrorism to abandon its nuclear weapons program. and if that didn't work, america ostensibly would gain the moral authority to galvanize china, russia, and the rest of the world to go along with a regime of crippling sanctions against tehran. 15 months and countless missed deadlines later, the administration's strategy has failed. our lack of resolve has only enabled iran to accelerate its illegal activities. let us take this opportunity to remember how high the stakes are. the danger of a nuclear iran is not hypothetical. it is real.

it is a direct and serious threat to america. it is a game changer that would set off a nuclear arms race throughout the middle east, permanently destabilizing the world's most dangerous region. top u.s. military officials recently warned congress that within one year iran will have the fiffle -- fissile material it needs to make a nuclear weapon. once iran gets the bomb, the concept of deter rens that underpins u.s. -- deterrence that underpins u.s. national security is no longer valid. the resounding voice of history reminds us that we ignore the threats of dangerous men and dangerous regimes at our own peril. that's why congress must rise to the occasion and send the message to the world that the united states will not tolerate a nuclear iran.

it's time for a concerted effort to impose sanctions with real teeth. and that begins here today with the iran refined petroleum sanctions act. we must block the shipment of all refined petroleum to iran, and we must cut off all international companies who do business with iran revolutionary guard from the u.s. financial system. iran's trading partners must understand that they will no longer conduct business with the regime in tehran with impunity. mr. speaker, these are times of sharp partisan divide in our nation's capital, but today we have a chance to together to take a major step forward in the interest of world peace. the time for decisive action to head off the regime in iran's nuclear program is now. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the

balance of his time. the gentleman from california. mr. berman: mr. speaker, i yield myself -- before i yield to the majority leader, i'm just going to yield to myself 30 seconds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 30 seconds. mr. berman: one year and three months ago america's goal -- america was pretty isolated in its goal of trying to stop iran from getting a nuclear weapon. we absolutely need to move quickly because iran is moving quickly. but there can be no doubt that the result of the events of the past 15 months have changed the dynamic fundamentally where the international community now recognizes the threat of iran's nuclear weapons proposes, and it is iran that's isolated not america. that is a direct result of the fundamental change of power. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. berman: i now am pleased to yield one minute to the great advocate of this legislation, and achieving this goal, the

majority leader. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. hoyer: i thank my friend of some 45 years, the chairman of the committee, for yielding. and i want to, before i start my remarks, say that i agree with you. with respect to his observations regarding the obama administration's efforts that are bearing positive fruit with respect to our allies around the world. we are not where we need to be and they are not all allies, but they certainly are partners in responding to this threat to the international community. we know what a grave danger a nuclear iran would pose to america's security, to our ally israel security, and indeed to the security of the international community. that is why, mr. berman, ms. ros-lehtinen reported out a bill, that is why we passed a bill, that's why the senate has passed a bill, now it's time to

go to conference. it's time to resolve the differences that exist and send a clear and unmistakable message. the dangerous consequences of inaction range from a fierce regional arms race to a nuclear umbrella for terrorism, to the unthinkable with american and international security at stake, iran's nuclearization is a grave, proximate threat and cannot stand. that is why the united states must do everything in its power, mr. speaker, to stop iran's nuclear pursuit. through years of diplomatic silence, iran's nuclear program grew. president obama took a course of patient engagement. and while iran's unwillingness to negotiate in good faith has been exposed to the world, it

has grown even closer to its goal. today the international atomic energy agency feels that iran has enough low enriched uranium for two nuclear bombs. so time is of the essence. by proceeding with this motion, congress moves closer to the imposition of sanctions that will hit the iranian economy at its weakest point. its banking system, the revolution card -- guard corps, and the refined petroleum that iran defends upon. i support strongly this motion knowing full well that sanctions are never a perfectly precise instrument and that they may mean hardship for ordinary iranians who already suffer under the repressive regime in iran. but i support sanctions nonetheless because they can work with the international community recognizes the outlaw nation poses a common threat to

us all. a case president obama and secretary clinton are making persuasively as was the point of the chairman of the committee to our fellow security council members. and the case the administration continued to make at this month's nuclear security summit. an extraordinary summit, i might add, of historical precedence, where 47 nations from around the world came here to washington to meet together, including the president of china, to say that nuclear proliferation poses a danger to all, not just a single nation, not just to a regional group of nations, but to all. i support sanctions because tehran can choose at any time to negotiate in good faith and setaside its aggressive nuclear pursuit. i support sanctions because when properly designed they can be a source of powerful pressure on

the iranian regime. pressure both external and internal. as britain's telegraph newspaper reported on monday, i report, there is now increasing resentment that iran's once popular nuclear program could be distracting from more urgent needs in the face of economic mismanagement and sanctions. far from resenting the u.s. designed sanctions, iranians blame the slowdown on their own government. going on to quote, nuclear energy is something that i supported but why go about it in this way? asked an iranian citizen. a pensioner and father of two. he went on to ask, if it is legitimate, then why are we suffering for it in this way? if it's not legitimate, then do it in the right way or give it up. we are paying too heavy a price. so said an iranian citizen about

that country's nuclear ambitions. it is my belief, my colleagues, that if smart sanctions take effect, more and more iranians will come to the same conclusion. and so, hopefully, will the iranian regime. sanctions will show the regime that its embrace of nuclear proliferation carries a cost that is far too high. we cannot expect a change of heart from tehran, but we can demand a change of behavior. my colleagues, this action is timely and perhaps past time, but it is always timely to do the right thing. to speak up, to act, and to encourage our allies as well. and our partners, and our fellow citizens in this globe to act in a way that will protect them and

protect our international community. so i rise in strong support of this motion to go to conference. and the motion to instruct and i thank my chairman for his leadership on this issue. he is working both to have effective action taken by the congress and to assist the administration in reaching the objective in as positive a way as possible. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: i continue to reserve the balance of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves her time. the gentleman from california. mr. berman: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield three minutes to the gentleman from new york, mr. nadler. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for three minutes. mr. nadler: i thank the gentleman for yielding. mr. speaker, we all know that the prospect of an iranian state armed with nuclear weapons is simply intolerable for the

world. it o poses an exi sention threat to our ally, israel. it would pose a threat of terrorism all over the middle east under a nuclear umbrella so we wouldn't be able to oppose what iran was doing. it poses a threat of a nuclear arms race in the middle east. it poses the threat that we cannot rule out that this regood morning, america will give a nuclear weapon to a terrorist group like al qaeda to use, we can only guess where. and finally, some people say, you know, we coexist with a nuclear soviet union for 40 years, 50 years. we deterred them. deterrence works. deterrence cannot work when you have a government that is religious in nature, many of whose elements are of the belief that the final destruction of israel, even if it cause as nuclear war, would bring on the return of the hidden i amman

more -- imman more quickly. you cannot deter a suicide bomber which is in essence what parts of the identify rain government are. we must prevent iran from getting nuclear weapons. we must avoid the hobson choice of having the situation where the advisors come into the president and say, mr. president, here are the two choices. one, do nothing and iran will have nuclear weapons in a couple weeks. two, militarily attack iran. we don't want that choice. we have to avoid a choice of military action or nuclear iran. the bush administration was here for eight years. they pursued a policy of talk tough and carry a tooth pick. they talked tough, but stopped nothing. and for eight years the centrifuges increasesed -- increased in number and went round and round and came closer to a nuclear iran. now we have an administration that comes with a policy of big sticks and carrots. and says first we will engage the iranians. we'll show them the advantages

and we will by so doing establish the foundation for unified not unilateral sanctions action against iran if necessary. now we have reached the stage where we have to start engaging in real sanctions. and we have allies and we will get those sanctions and we must take tough sanctions to avoid the hobson's choice. this resolution before us is part of that to impose tough sanctions on the iranians to make them reconsider or to make it impossible to them to develop nuclear weapons. . so we must pass this resolution because we don't want a hobson's choice of a military action or a nuclear iran. the latter of which is intolerable and the first of which is something we should not ever want. so i urge my colleagues to pass this resolution, and i thank the gentleman from california, the gentlelady from florida for bringing it to the floor. i yield back the balance of my time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady. ms. ros-lehtinen: we continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: reserves her time. the gentleman from california. mr. berman: mr. speaker, i'm pleased to yield two minutes to the gentleman from new jersey, one of the original creators of the concept to refined petroleum sanctions two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. andrews: i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. andrews: thank you, mr. speaker, and thank you, mr. chairman. there is a jfble broad consensus in this country -- justifiable broad consensus in this country and in this congress that iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. the issue is how to achieve that objective and why to achieve that objective. we cannot act in isolation to achieve the optive. we must act to isolate iran. this has been the fruit of the persistent diplomacy engaged in by the administration, assisted

very nobly by our chairman berman, our ranking member, that has brought us to the point where the world is now isolating iran. iran stands essentially alone in support of the proposition that its behavior has been justifiable. the sanctions that are proposed by the underlying bill will be effective because they will force the iranian leadership to choose between the prospect of prosperity if they drop their nuclear she connery and the certainly of economic distress if they persist in retaining it. the sanctions -- the iranians should switch from gasoline to natural gas as a means. in the early 1930's there were

ugly statements and vicious images coming out of europe. people insisted that people who worried about that were exaggerating the threat. so much of the world, including, sadly, the united states turned away as those ugly signals were sent. the tragedy was of unspokeable proportions, six million people killed in the holocaust. today, there are ugly words coming out of iran -- i would ask for 30 more seconds. mr. berman: i'm pleased to yield 30 seconds. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for 30 second. mr. andrews: there are some that say that one holocaust is not enough, that the jewish state should not exist. we should learn the terrible histories of the 1930's and not repeat it. we should act decisively, swiftly with the rest of the

world to impose sanctions on the iranian government. i thank the chairman for his leadership on this issue, urge a yes vote and the swift adoption of the underlying legislation. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from california. mr. berman: mr. speaker, i have one additional speaker requesting time. i believe the gentlelady has the right to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady has the right to close. mr. berman: so shall we -- my speaker and your right to close. i am pleased to yield three minutes to the gentleman from new york, chairman of the committee on the western hemisphere, mr. engel. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for three minutes. mr. engel: i thank the chairman for yielding to me. i thank the gentlewoman from florida for her strong voice. boy, if there's anything that

is bipartisan it's this resolution. the one good thing that iran has done is brought us all together because we realize that the iranian threat to the world is the world's biggest threat. iran remains the leading sponsor of terrorism around the world, and as mentioned before, the president of iran, ahmadinejad, has threatened to wipe israel if the face of the earth but the threat is not to i ale alone, it's to europe, it's to the united states, it's to the entire world. and the entire world must be with one voice. i am a proud co-sponsor of h.r. 2194, the iran refined petroleum sanctions act, and i want to commend chairman berman for this initiative and congresswoman ileana ros-lehtinen as well. only a few short months ago the world learned of the secret iranian enrichment uranium facility. if there was ever any doubt that iran was going to build a

nuclear weapon, this was kept secret from the iaea, the international atomic energy agency. it was built on a mountain near a protective military base. this is how a country conseals a nuclear weapons program and defies u.n. security council resolution, not how it develops peaceful energy technology. however, although iran is the leading producer of crude oil, it has limited refining capacity. and this bill will increase leverage against iran by penalizing companies that export refined petroleum products to iran or finance the refining capabilities. it's my hope that the administration will make clear to the iranian regime that the world will not accept its nuclear ambition. as commarme of the subcommittee on the western hemisphere of the house foreign affairs committee, i'd also like to raise one additional concern which arose at my october hearing on iran's role in the western hemisphere. venezuela leader, hugo chavez,

agreed to provide 25,000 barrels of gasoline to iran. the deal may be covered by the bill we are considered today. while some question whether venezuela has the ability to provide gasoline to iran, since it imports some gasoline to meet its own demand, chavez is meeting a perilous area. i hope chavez considers this unwise step. we must consider and keep focusing on iran in the western hemisphere as well. the u.s., our allies and the u.n. security council has agreed that a nuclear armed iran would be a danger to our ally, israel, the middle east, the entire world. the regime murders its own citizens, represses people who want to demonstrate against its stolen election, and it's time for us to stand up. so i'm glad in a bipartisan voice this morning we say no to iran, no to nuclear weapons for iran, yes to support the

underlying bill. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. does the gentlelady reserve her time? ms. ros-lehtinen: we're ready to close if the gentleman is ready to close. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentleman from california yield back his time? mr. berman: yes, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlelady from florida. ms. ros-lehtinen: thank you so much, mr. speaker. i yield myself my remaining time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady will be recognized for three minutes. ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, for several years we have watched iran move ever closer to acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. no rational person can question that that is iran's goal, and yet even though iran has violated its international treaty obligations, defied repeated u.n. security council resolutions, had one secret nuclear site after another revealed to the world, and rejected every offer to negotiate, the world has let it happen. we in this chamber have been elected to defend and promote the interest and security of

our country. we must do everything we can to force iran's leaders to change course and abandon their pursuit of nuclear weapons because the american people and our allies are their intended targets. we know this because they have repeatedly told us. we cannot rely on hope for deliverans because that will only guarantee our destruction. so we must act quickly and we must act decisively. the bill that the house passed overwhelmingly last december, the iran refined petroleum sanctions act, represents the best opportunity we have to do precisely that. if we and our colleagues in the senate can craft a strong measure that can then be sent to the president, we will have met our responsibility to the american people. i am confident, mr. speaker, that we can defeat the menace

that is posed by iran before it has a chance to strike us. but our time is running out. let us support this motion. let us send a strong bill to the president's desk. i thank you, mr. speaker, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back her time. without objection, the previous question is ordered. the question is on the motion. all those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the motion is agreed to. ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from florida rise? ms. ros-lehtinen: mr. speaker, on that i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those in favor of a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this 20, further proceedings on this question are postponed.

for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona rise? mr. flake: i rise to a question of the privileges of the house and offer the resolution previously noticed. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title resolution. the clerk: whereas the standards on official conduct had an investigation into earmarks and campaign contributions in the spring of 2009, whereas on december 2, 2009, reports and findings in seven separate matters regarding the alleged connections between earmarks and campaign contributions from reported to the standards committee. whereas on february 26, 2010, the standards committee made public its report on the matter wherein the committee found that while widespread perception exists that campaign contributions provide a greater chance of obtaining earmarks, there was no evidence that members or their staff

considered contributions when requesting earmarks. whereas the committee indicated that with respect to the matters forwarded by the office of congressional ethics, neither the evidence cited in the o.c.e.'s findings nor the evidence in the record before the standards committee provided a substantial reason to believe that violations of applicable standards of conduct occurred. whereas the office of congressional ethics is prohibited from reviewing activities taking place prior to march of 2008 and lacks the authority to subpoena witnesses and documents. whereas, for example, the office of congressional ethics noted that in some instances documents were redacted or specific information was not provided and that in at least of -- one instance they believe that one withheld information being requested. whereas the office of congressional ethics also noted that this were able to interview only six former

employees of the p.m.a. group with many former employees refusing to consent to interviews and the o.e.c. unable to obtain evidence within p.m.a.'s possession. whereas "roll call" noted that the committee report was five pages long and included no documentation of any evidence collected or any interviews conducted by the committee beyond a statement that the investigation included extensive document reviews and interviews with numerous witnesses. "roll call," march 8, 2010. whereas it is unclear whether the standards committee included in their investigation any activities that occurred prior to 2008. whereas it is unclear whether the standards committee interviewed any matters in the course of their investigation. whereas it is unclear whether the standards committee in the course of their investigation initiated their own subpoenas or followed the office of congressional ethics' recommendations to issue subpoenas. therefore, be it resolved that

not later than seven days after the adoption of this resolution the committee on standards of official conduct shall report to the house of representatives with respect to the activities addressed in its report of february 26, 2010, one, how many witnesses were interviewed. two, how many, if any, subpoenas were issued in the course of their investigation. and three, what documents were reviewed and their availability for public review. the speaker pro tempore: the resolution qualifies. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida rise? >> mr. speaker, i move that the resolution be referred to the committee on standards of official conduct. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona rise? mr. flake: i move the previous question on the resolution itself. the speaker pro tempore: the motion for the previous question is preferential. the question is on ordering the previous question on the resolution. all those in favor say aye. all those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the noes have it. the previous question is not ordered. mr. flake: mr. speaker, i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested.

those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

nays 218. present, 16. the previous question is not ordered. the gentleman from florida is recognized for one hour. mr. hastings: mr. speaker, the house is not in order. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. please take your conversations off the floor. the gentleman from florida. mr. hastings: mr. speaker, this is a matter that belongs before the committee on standards of official conduct. and i yield back the balance of my time and move the previous question. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the previous question is ordered. the question is on the motion to refer.

so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the motion is adopted. mr. hastings: mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida. mr. hastings: i ask for a recorded vote, the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. members will record their votes by electronic device. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, this 15-minute vote on the motion to refer will be followed by a five-minute vote on the motion to instruct conferees on h.r. 2194, and the motion to suspend the rules on house resolution 1270. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, f!!s

the speaker pro tempore: on this -- on this vote, the yeas are 402 the nays are zero, present, 17, the resolution is adopted. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion to instruct on h.r. 2194 offered by the gentlewoman from florida, ms. ros-lehtinen, on which the yeas were ordered. the clerk will redesignate the

motion. the clerk: motion to instruct conferees on h.r. 2984 offered by ms. ros-lehtinen of florida. the speaker pro tempore: the question son the motion to question son the motion to instruct.

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 403, the nays are 11, present, three, the motion is adopted. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion from the gentleman from northern mariana, mr. is a plan, to suspend the rules and agree to house resolution -- mr. sablan, to suspend the rules and agree to house resolution 1270.

the clerk will report the title. the clerk: resolution expressing support for mathematics awareness month. mathematics awareness month. the speaker pro tempore: the .

the nays are 2. 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the reconsider is laid upon the table.

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 407. the nays are two. 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the resolution is agreed to, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. without objection, the chair appoints the following conferees on h.r. 2194. the clerk: from the committee on foreign affairs for consideration of the house bill and the senate amendment, a modifications committed to conference, messrs. berman, ackerman, sherman, crowley, scott of georgia, costa, klein of florida, ms. ros-lehtinen, messrs. burton of indiana, royce, and pence. from the committee on financial

services for consideration of sections 3 and 4 of the house bill and sections 101 through 103, 106, 203, and 401 of the senate amendment, and modifications committed to conference, messrs. frank of massachusetts, meeks of new york, and garrett of new jersey. from the committee on ways and means for consideration of sections 3 and 4 of the house bill and sections 101 through 103 and 401 of the senate amendment and modifications committed to conference, messrs. levin, tanner, and camp. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia rise? mr. broun: i ask unanimous consent that i may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of h.r. 1914, a bill originally introduced by representative deal of georgia for the purposes of adding co-sponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule 12. the speaker pro tempore: without objection.

for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia rise? mr. gingrey: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that i hereafter be considered as a first hons sponsor of h.r. 1868, a bill originally introduced by representative deal of georgia for the purpose of adding co-sponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule 12. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. gingrey: i ask unanimous consent that i may hereafter be considered as a first sponsor of h.r. 4336, a bill originally introduced by representative deal of georgia for the purpose of adding co-sponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule 12. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from the district of columbia rise? ms. norton: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent that my name be removed as a co-sponsor of h.r. 4717. the speaker pro tempore: without the speaker pro tempore: without objection.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia rise? mr. cantor: i ask to address the house for one minute for the purpose of inquiring about next week's schedule. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized. mr. cantor: i thank the speaker. i yield to the gentleman from maryland, majority leader, for the purpose of announcing next week's schedule. mr. hoyer: i thank the republican whip for yielding. on monday the house will meet at 12:30 p.m. for morning hour debate and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business with votes postponed until 6:30 p.m. on tuesday the house will meet at 10:30 for morning hour debate and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business. and on wednesday and thursday the house will meet at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business. on friday no votes are expected in the house. we'll consider several bills under suspension of the rules including the very important h.r. 3393, improper payments elimination and recovery act of

2009 introduced by representative murphy, patrick murphy of pennsylvania. complete list of suspension bills will be announced by the close of business tomorrow. in addition we will consider h.r. 5013, implementing management for performance and related reforms to obtain value and every acquisition act of 2010. and h.r. 2499, the puerto rico democracy act of 2009. yield back. mr. cantor: i thank the gentleman. madam speaker, the house will be in session for five more weeks prior to the memorial day district work period, and i would like to inquire of the gentleman what legislation he expects the house to consider prior to that district work period in addition to the items he just mentioned for next week, and i yield. mr. hoyer: i thank the gentleman for yielding. as the gentleman knows, our number one priority has been and continues to be the progress on creation of jobs.

the last month's report was a positive report. we gained 162,000 jobs. and the economy is showing signs of very substantial improvement. as a result of recovery act and other actions that we have taken to get americans back to work. so that will continue to be our focus. having said that, we also have passed already the hire act which we think will have a very substantial positive effect which includes payroll tax forgiveness for the hiring of new employees who have been unemployed for some period of time, and if they are kept on for 52 weeks, there will be a $1,000 additional payment which we hope will encourage employers to hire new people. in addition in that bill we gave an extension of the highway trust fund, increase investment in infrastructure, and the build

america bonds legislation. and as well as giving a boost to small business growth in terms of expensing. in addition the house will -- house passed small business and infrastructure jobs act which is pending in the senate. we hope that is coming back to us. this work period we would like to build on our record of job creating legislation with additional leads to small businesses. the president's proposed as the gentleman knows the small business lending fund that would take $30 billion of tarp funds which was obviously designed to try to get our economy moving again, provide capital infusion to local banks, and assets of $10 billion or less to incentivize small business lending. also we hope to complete action with the senate on long-term extension of unemployment insurance and cobra benefits and tax extenders for businesses large and small. some of them obviously those pieces of legislation have

passed the house. i expect the house will also take action this work period on the competes act which is relatively noncontroversial that invests in growing our economy, particularly in science, technology, innovations, math, and science. other items on our agenda for this work period is budget resolution, defense acquisition reform which we are going to announce we'll do next week, defense authorization reform, afghanistan, pakistan supplemental, haiti supplemental , and of course the iran sanctions conference report which i hope to have done and the resolution that you and i just voted for, the motion to instruct i urge that that be reported back by the memorial daybreak. yield back. mr. cantor: i thank the gentleman. and i would say to the gentleman

i am heartened to hear about his continued insistence that this body focus on the number one priority of the american people and that is getting this economy going again and getting americans back to work. madam speaker, i would say that most americans agree that what we ought to be doing is containing and limiting government spending. many of the programs that the gentleman just pointed out indicate that we perhaps are going to head down the same road, keep heading down the same road that we have been in order to try and create an environment for jobs. i would say to the gentleman, although that the -- there was job growth last month, he himself, i think, would admit that that's just not enough. and in fact if we were to look back at the times of very high employment prior -- in prior years,